【正文】
the slopes, their cottage roofs dusted with snow. Oh yes, this is a traditional ink and wash painting and probably one by a Tang Dynasty master too.As for the lakes and ponds, they don’t freeze over, but even give off wisps of warm vapour. The water weeds remain bright green as if showing off colour stored up over the year, and the clearer the weather the greener they glow. Anyway, how can the water freeze over when all those weeping willows want to see their reflections? As you raise your eyes slowly from the transparent depths and look up gradually to the sky, everything is so clear and bright and blue, like a giant hollow block of crystal, in which are encased red roofs, tan hills and little copses, like the design on a carpet. This is Ji’nan in the winter.